Nigeria: NEMA Embarks On Sensitisation On Solid Waste Management

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has embarked on the sensitisation of people in the South South Zone on solid waste management as part of efforts to reduce flooding .

Mr Umesi Emenike, the Coordinator of the agency in the zone disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Port Harcourt.

Emenike said that the exercise was organised by the agency in collaboration with the NYSC Emergency Management Vanguards.

He identified the causes of flooding in the area to include inadequate drains, improper refuse disposal system, building on drainage lines and low terrain.

He urged the people to desist from acts that were detrimental to the environment.

“Do not erect houses on drains, avoid improper refuse disposal in order not to block the water channels and do not erect structures close to the waterways,” Emenike enjoined them.

The coordinator noted that state governors had received early warning signals to take measures to prevent flooding.

“We want various agencies and stakeholders to be proactive and support NEMA to ensure that the flooding is curtailed.”

He said that information had been sent through various media houses to enlighten people in the zone on the need to reduce the effects of flooding.

According to him, the agency has sponsored radio jingles in the six states of the South-South region.

He said that the agency was also organising a stakeholders’ conference on climate change, 2nd South-South Summit on emergency management and stakeholders meeting with royal fathers in the region.

Emenike, however, said that NEMA has been working hard to ensure that state governors in the region establish Emergency Management centre in the all the local government councils.

Meanwhile, the Rivers State Environmental Sanitation Authority says it is liaising with the Ministry of Environment to clear the drains along major streets in the state.

Mr Lekan Ige, the Public Relations Officer of the authority told NAN that some of the drains were blocked by refuse and other garbage.

He said that some had already been cleared and urged the people to stop dumping refuse in the drains to minimise flooding.

Ige said that the authority had also provided refuse disposal bags to residents and commercial vehicles to reduce indiscriminate dumping of refuse.

NAN